Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge has been transplanted to the edge of the American frontier in this vivid drama that didn't receive the theatrical exposure it deserved. Although top young actors adorn the movie's ads, the central character--Daniel Dillon, a man who runs the gold rush town of Kingdom Come--is played by little-known Peter Mullen. In the dead of winter in 1849, three people arrive in town, changing irrevocably Dillon's life. One is Donald Dalglish (Wes Bentley), the clear-thinking leader of a railroad prospect crew who will determine where the railroad line--and a new line of wealth--will be built. The others are a mother and daughter (Nastassja Kinski, Sarah Polley) who have a past connection to Dillon and the knowledge of how he became rich. As events unfold--in pure Hardy fashion--Dillon finds himself facing a crossroads, with one path leading to redemption. The cast is uniformly brilliant, but special praise must go to Mullen, who carries the film's dramatic weight, and to Bentley, who is so composed in a role completely dissimilar to his breakthrough work in American Beauty. Director Michael Winterbottom (who adapted another Hardy piece with his film Jude) and cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler have fashioned their film after Robert Altman's landmark McCabe and Mrs. Miller in the natural, earthy feel of a frontier town. The film opened in 2000 and deservedly appeared on a few top 10 lists, then was rereleased the following year. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Epic (n): 2+ hr. movie with no attention to characterizationThankfully, it's only 2 hours (as opposed to typical epic movie durations). When will Hollywood and movie critics realize that a movie isn't very satisfying if it has only one dimentional characters? No amount of scenery or historical reference will change that. I bought this video because of the positive reviews on the cover: "One of the top 10 films of the year"--Chicago Sun Times, "Two Thumbs Up"--Ebert and Roeper, and "One of the years best films!"--Jeffery Lyons. It's interesting to note that Hollywood has been in a decline since film historian/critics began to frequent the airwaves with their own shows (which, btw, are produced by the same corporations that make the movies). Oh well, I should've known better than to listen to the praise of predicable critics. Overall, I give the movie 2 stars (the scenery and the actresses were pretty), 0 stars for the reviews. Buyer beware!...more info

The ClaimI really liked this movie but my husband who is the avid Western movie fan, did not care for it....more info

Good multifaceted story with terrific cast...Dalglish (Wes Bentley) arrives to Kingdome Come in the High Sierra's in order to survey the direction of the railroad he is bringing to the area. At the party in which Dalglish is traveling there are two women, the mother Elena Burn (Nastassja Kinski) and her daughter Hope (Sarah Polley). The two women bring something old with them that only the mayor of Kingdome Come, Daniel Dillon (Peter Mullan), is aware of as it awakens his memories of his arrival to Kingdome Come. He arrived many years earlier with his wife and infant child, whom he traded for the claim of the goldmine in Kingdome Come. The Claim is a well directed story as it is multifaceted and is supported by a dazzling cast that performs brilliantly. In the end, the Claim will offer an impressive cinematic experience that has something for everyone....more info

Fitting it's story... this one is a gem.With the immense amount of garbage that hollywood puts out on a yearly basis, you really need to be careful in your selections nowadays. Allow me to be your guide on this particular film, it is defenitely a must-see, though not for everyone. If you are expecting a thrill-seeking, shoot em up western then you are wasting your time, however, if you want to see great storytelling and perfect cinema... this one is for you.

It is a rarity in modern cinema for direction to be the most important factor in a film. Most directors are essentially part problem solvers and part general, leading the troops through the maze of reshoots and press releases. That is not the case with "The Claim." Micheal Winterbottom does what very few directors are able to do, carry a film. Having said that, cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler desrves his share of praise as well, transforming the landscape of mid-1800's California into as lush and beautiful a backdrop as the Arabian desert in "Lawrence of Arabia".

But the acting is terrific as well, from the lovely Milla Jovavich, to Natasha Kinski, and the great young duo of Wes Bentley and Sarah Polley, the film was cast perfectly. But the breakout here is the brilliant performance of Peter Mullen as the main character Daniel Dillon. Peter makes the most of the rich character as he winds his way from greed, to shame, all the way back to redemption, his engrossing performance is secondary to only the aforementioned Winterbottom and Kuchler.

This film isn't merely worth your time, but it made my pick as the best film of 2001 (though it was technically released in 2000 for an attempt at an Oscar run.) And if you like this film, then check out Terrence Mallick's "Days Of Heaven"....more info

barebone edition but well done.The Claim is Michael Winterbottom's - a versatile and productive english director - latest effort.Winterbottom's style as a director is lean, and he knows how to give rhythm to the film narration.Alwin Kuchler - the cinematographer - shows to be a master of chiaroscuro. The plot is epic and perfect the casting, you'll enjoy many great scenes: action and drama in a classic tale. OST by Michael Nyman.This DVD edition is barebone, but the price is right. Both tracks - video and audio - are excellent. The kind of the cinematography presented in the movie is difficult to handle, but in my opinion at MGM they've done a good work. The DD audio track works well with dialogues, while the surround effects are powerful with the music....more info

Inner emptiness in a cold place"There's no pleasure in it. A man loses heart"

Such is the admonition about gold that a weary prospector, after pouring a bag of nuggets out onto the table, gives young Daniel Dillon, newly arrived in the snowbound Sierra Nevada range during the California gold rush. Despite this less than encouraging counsel, Dillon trades for the miner's claim something most men would consider too dear to barter. Now, almost two decades later in 1868, Daniel's mine has spawned a town, Kingdom Come, and Dillon (Peter Mullan) is the benevolent despot that rules the settlement and everyone in it. Again, it's winter, and there's nothing for the prospectors to do but drink, gamble, carouse in the local brothel, and await the verdict of the Central Pacific survey party out to determine if the transcontinental trains will pass through KC. It's not too much of an exaggeration to say that the town will die if the railroad bypasses the community.

Wes Bentley plays Donald Dalglish, the rakish young engineer who leads the survey team. He's arrived in town escorting two ladies, recently widowed Elena (Nastassja Kinski) and Hope (Sarah Polley). Elena is dying of tuberculosis, and Hope is her teenaged daughter. It soon becomes apparent that the two women share a past with Dillon, who dumps Lucia, his significant other and the owner of the brothel, and invites Elena and Hope to move into his Victorian mansion. In the meantime, between frolics with the workin' gals, Dalglish becomes smitten with Hope.

The connection between Dillon, Elena and Hope is revealed early on. The plot is not so much concerned with who these characters are, but rather with the culmination of the morality play that began years before when Dillon ignored sound advice - a finale intensified to a sharp point by the Central Pacific's eventual verdict and Elena's illness.

I was somewhat confounded that I didn't like this movie more for it's indeed a richly photographed period piece. For me, the characters of Dillon and Dalglish just didn't click. Neither one was portrayed by the screenwriters to be either particularly endearing or hateful to the audience. Both are just regular guys, each a blend of both good and flawed traits, and therefore too nondescript to carry the weight of being the male leads. The Elena and Hope characters, while crucial to the storyline, were little more than indispensable props.

Actually, the most interesting part of the film for me - and I'm saying this without a smirk, really! - was the portrayal of the bordello. The film doesn't judge or glamorize the girls or the business they work at, which is to provide lonely men with emergency love and separate them from their money and gold in the process. And the film doesn't make the working conditions any more miserable than might be expected in any shantytown place in the snowed-under Sierras of the 1860s. There's one scene where the house manager yells a reminder through the door to one of her staff, "Be sure and collect his money - you aren't giving it away for free!" Hmmph! That's what my wife shouts after me as I drive off to my 9 to 5 every morning....more info

powerful and passionatea great cast makes this work. Michael Winterbottom directs another powerful and passionate film alongside his earlier film Jude with Kate Winslet and Christopher Eccelston. Nastassja Kinski and Sarah Polley come to a small town where a long secret will reveal. Peter Mullan is the man in charge of the town and the secret reflects on him. Wes Bently is the man who is going to build a railroad across the country connecting into the middle and Milla Jovovich plays a prositute. wonderfully acted and dramatic. the part where Kinski dies I cryed like a baby because they killed something beauticul...more info

The Claim is quite lameI really tried to enjoy this film, but what a bore! Ebert & Roeper must have been held at gunpoint to rate this as "Two Thumbs Up." Not even Milla and Nastassja could save this movie. Don't even waste your time watching this flick and awaiting the "shocking connection to Dillon . . . one that could devastate his town, his life and his empire." Anyone could see it coming a mile away, and even so, who cares? Certainly not the townspeople. Not for a moment did this script or the characters hold my interest. Everyone was underdeveloped. Milla looked tired and sweaty, and she annoyed the heck out of me with her awful singing. Nastassja was on her death bed throughout the movie, and so I couldn't even appreciate her beauty and talent, and her daughter, Sarah Polley, couldn't stop saying "thank you."

Though the film had beautiful photography I couldn't help but wonder, what was the purpose of some shots being out of focus? It was a distraction more than anything else, because it most certainly did not lend to the mood. I'm keeping this only because of Natassja, and even so, I won't be viewing this again for a long time....more info

Movies Don't Get Any Better Than ThisQuite simply, "The Claim" is the best film I've seen thus far in the young millennium. A dark, Shakespearean tale of retribution, it is in fact a transposition of one of British author Thomas Hardy's greatest novels, "The Mayor of Casterbridge," to the 19th Century American West. It is aimed at literate viewers whose attention span is longer than that of a golden retriever. WARNING: The subtlety and slow pacing of this film render it potentially lethal to anyone who likes auto racing, pro wrassling, and/or "Armageddon"!...more info

"They were like kings"This is superior film making. The acting is excellent, the setting is meticulously authentic, the story is profound on a Biblical level. Michael Nyman's music is poignant. There is one scene when Milla Jovovich sings a song which alone makes the film worth watching. This is not Clint Eastwood, thank God. It doesn't have a gun fight for twenty minutes through the town with men getting shot and falling into the horses' water troughs. It is not burdened with the overbearing presence of a major star. It wouldn't have worked if there had been someone like that prancing around. If you want that kind of Hollywood Western which even Clint can't get away from still making, then look elsewhere. Go watch "The Unforgiven" again for that stuff. The two movies are very similar in setting, but wow what a difference. Comparing this to Hardy's work too is ridiculous. Why does anyone do that? What in the world does that achieve? This is a movie wholly of itself. Once it starts its ball rolling it has nothing to do with Hardy. American author Frank Norris might be a more fruitful comparison, if anyone, but this movie is a 21st Century production, not a work made before the turn of the 20th Century. Seem to be a lot of people who come to this movie with some kind of prejudice that they then rate it by. Just sit back and watch it and digest it without the large Coke and pre-buttered popcorn. Some may not have the patience for this film. I feel sorry for them. They're missing quality at work which doesn't have an eye on the box office receipts--one of the rare films. This is a movie for the attentive viewer who can read the depth of the story being told--a strong story with personal and historical significance. Think "Oedipus" maybe. This is probably the "truest" "Western" I've ever seen. Five Stars....more info

Brrrrrrrrr!Brings a new meaning to a 'chilling' tale.

Quite the mixed opinions here. I don't think I've ever seen a review with marks all over the scale like this before. Yeah, the relocation of a fully furnished 2-story home through a mountainside befuddled me also. With that aside, my wife and I thought this was an okay movie.

Great Visuals, but the Action Can Be Difficult to Follow and to Understand without Prior Reading about This Motion PictureI would urge Amazon's WWW site's users to obtain and to view this film, but with a warning. The narrative of the film does not reveal itself very clearly. I even had read the novel ("The Mayor of Casterbridge") by Thomas Hardy on which the film was based (with a transfer from a British to an American Western setting, with changes in the names of the characters), but had read that great work too long ago to be able to recall enough of it to follow clearly what the film, too, was portraying. I did manage to "get the gist of it" despite a lot of confusion along the way, but it was a summary of the action of the motion picture, on a WWW site that made it all congeal together, "after the fact" of having viewed it, rather than adequate clues of a visual sort or from the dialogue from the movie itself while I first was watching it.

The film is visually very beautiful. The mountainous California scenery is magnificent and rather well and atmospherically filmed. The young male actor, Wes Bentley, who plays the role of Dalglish, the railroad planner, provides the main human pulchritude, very handsome and youtfully appealing, real "eye candy". His acting is less than stunning, perhaps at least in part due to the apparent need to affect a foreign accent that he conveys with only intermittent ability to convince. One of the problems, though, that this film has with conveying the narrative is that so much attention on the character of Dalglish (Bentley), especially so near to the beginning of the movie, distracts the viewer's attention from the plight (until revived later as the action progresses) of Daniel Dillon (played by Peter Mullan), who, after all, is the central character around whose fate this cinematic work turns. What occurs in flashbacks to the past and what is happening in the action's present also is unclear, creating potential confusion for the viewer.

The film might have benefitted from a better and more assertive musical score. Too much happens without the evocative enhancement that a more skillful and prominent score would have provided.

A good motion picture this is, in short, but do some "homework" to prepare yourself to follow the story that this film recounts with such visual beauty. I would like to see my DVD of this movie a few more times, to feast the eyes on the lofty loveliness of the mountain setting and on the boyishly bearded beauty of Wes Bentley, so, I guess that this is adequate to have provoked that opening, decided recommendation to you from me! ...more info

Michael Winterbottom hates me.That's the conclusion I came to while watching The Claim. I have not yet read The Mayor of Casterbridge, but Winterbottom's frigid Sierra adaptation left me cold, and not in the intended sense. What could easily have been a compelling film was thwarted by its own presentation. I lost count of the excruciating, wooden attempts at accompanied singing and poetry recitation I was forced to endure at full length, where just a sampling would have sufficed. The portrayals here tend to hold us at arms length, as we watch the characters go through the fate-driven motions of their dreary Gold Rush existence. Hope (Sarah Polley) in particular is so flat and lifeless and underdeveloped that setting her up as a romantic interest lacked credibility.

I welcome subtlety, but here plot comprehension is fatally hindered by technical problems. Seen in flashbacks, the younger versions of characters bear scant resemblance to their latter-day counterparts. More than once, the idiosyncratic camera blurring had me shouting "Focus!!!" in frustration (although the rest of the cinematography is beautiful). Important figures like Dillon have thick accents, and their intelligibility was not improved by the omnipresent background noise and obtrusive scoring with which the director gleefully assaults us. Whistling winds, squalling infants, noisy saloon ambiance, and horribly out-of-tune pianos all conspire to drown out dialogue, and when these are lacking, an emotionally overwrought score swells to take their place. I had to infer Dillon's lines because I couldn't understand a word he said. If I were Sheriff, the sort of frontier justice exemplified in this film would be summarily applied to studios who can't be bothered to include ENGLISH SUBTITLES on their dvd releases! There's just no excuse for this.

Ultimately, all the above makes me wish I had just retired to the davenport with a cup of tea and Hardy's novel, and spared myself the myriad annoyances of this film. Still, it's an earnest and laudable attempt at serious drama, beautifully shot, with a fine, moving story underlying it. If you're willing to deal with the aspects I found alienating, it will probably be worth your time to watch The Claim....more info

Could be a lot betterThe story's okay, if not particularly engrossing, but the pacing is terrible. Scenes just drag on endlessly, usually starting off well, then climaxing around the middle of the scene, and then trailing on for a completely unnecessary five minutes. The flashbacks are badly handled and complicate an otherwise straightforward storyline. The acting is quite good however. I felt that Milla Jovovich turned in the best performance, maybe because I didn't expect much from her, but she was rivetting. And although she can't really sing, that worked too, because it added some realism to the gold rush setting (you think they had professionals up there in the snow?). Peter Mullan was also good, and it was nice to see Shirley Henderson crop up unexpectedly as a whore who falls in love. Sarah Polley I wasn't sure of initially, but she really pulled her performance together for a strong ending. Wes Bentley seemed a bit out of his depth, but didn't have a huge part. Overall, the movie is interesting and worthwhile if you have the patience, but a thrill ride it isn't....more info

A Gorgeously Filmed Movie in Stupendous Mountainous California Setting, but with Some Faults in RealisationI would urge Amazon's WWW site's users to obtain and to view this film, but with a warning. The narrative of the film does not reveal itself very clearly. I even had read the novel ("The Mayor of Casterbridge") by Thomas Hardy on which the film was based (with a transfer from a British to an American Western setting, with changes in the names of the characters), but had read that great work too long ago to be able to recall enough of it to follow clearly what the film, too, was portraying. I did manage to "get the gist of it" despite a lot of confusion along the way, but it was a summary of the action of the motion picture, on a WWW site that made it all congeal together, "after the fact" of having viewed it, rather than adequate clues of a visual sort or from the dialogue from the movie itself while I first was watching it.

The film is visually very beautiful. The mountainous California scenery is magnificent and rather well and atmospherically filmed. The young male actor, Wes Bentley, who plays the role of Dalglish, the railroad planner, provides the main human pulchritude, very handsome and youtfully appealing, real "eye candy". His acting is less than stunning, perhaps at least in part due to the apparent need to affect a foreign accent that he conveys with only intermittent ability to convince. One of the problems, though, that this film has with conveying the narrative is that so much attention on the character of Dalglish (Bentley), especially so near to the beginning of the movie, distracts the viewer's attention from the plight (until revived later as the action progresses) of Daniel Dillon (played by Peter Mullan), who, after all, is the central character around whose fate this cinematic work turns. What occurs in flashbacks to the past and what is happening in the action's present also is unclear, creating potential confusion for the viewer.

The film might have benefitted from a better and more assertive score. Too much happens without the evocative enhancement that a more skillful and prominent score would have provided.

A good motion picture this is, in short, but do some "homework" to prepare yourself to follow the story that this film recounts with such visual beauty. I would like to see my DVD of this movie a few more times, to feast the eyes on the lofty loveliness of the mountain setting and on the boyishly bearded beauty of Wes Bentley, so, I guess that this is adequate to have provoked that opening, decided recommendation to you from me!...more info